A dog's dental health is much more than a cosmetic concern; it is a critical component of their overall well-being and longevity. Neglected oral hygiene in canines can lead to painful conditions, such as periodontal disease, and even more severe, systemic health problems affecting major organs. While traditional brushing is a gold standard, consider using a dog dental powder for your pet! Dog dental powders have emerged as a convenient and effective supplement to help owners combat plaque and tartar buildup. These powders, added directly to a dog's food, offer a non-invasive solution for promoting oral health, especially for those dogs who resist having their teeth brushed.

The critical importance of canine oral health

Just as with humans, a dog's mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria. When these bacteria combine with food particles and saliva, they form plaque, a sticky, colorless film on the teeth. If plaque is not removed, it hardens into tartar, or dental calculus, which creates a rough surface for even more bacteria to accumulate. The accumulation of plaque and tartar is the primary cause of periodontal disease, a progressive condition that can wreak havoc on a dog's health.

Periodontal disease: The silent epidemic

Periodontal disease is the most common dental condition in dogs, with up to 80% of dogs showing signs by age three. It progresses in four stages, ranging from mild gingivitis to advanced periodontitis with significant bone and tissue loss around the teeth.

• Stage 1 (Gingivitis): The gums become red, swollen, and may bleed easily. At this stage, the condition is reversible with proper veterinary dental care.
• Stage 2 (Early Periodontitis): The supporting structures of the teeth, including the bone, start to become compromised.
• Stages 3 & 4 (Moderate to Advanced Periodontitis): The damage becomes irreversible. There is significant bone loss, gum recession, and a high risk of tooth loss.

Beyond the mouth: Systemic health risks

The consequences of untreated periodontal disease extend far beyond the oral cavity. The bacteria from a dog's mouth can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, posing a serious threat to vital organs. Studies have linked advanced dental disease in dogs to microscopic changes in the kidneys, liver, and heart muscle. In fact, poor oral hygiene has been shown to potentially shorten a dog's lifespan by several years.

Dog dental powder: An easy and effective solution

For many pet owners, daily tooth brushing is a challenge. A dog's resistance or anxiety can make the process stressful for both parties. This is where dental powder provides a valuable alternative or complement to other oral care routines.

What is dog dental powder?

Dog dental powder is a dietary supplement designed to support oral hygiene from the inside out. It is a finely textured powder, typically made from natural ingredients like brown algae (Ascophyllum nodosum), cellulase, kelp, probiotics, and green tea extracts. It is simply sprinkled onto a dog's food once a day, where it mixes with the saliva and is ingested.

How does dental powder work?

The effectiveness of dental powder comes from its active ingredients, which work systemically to combat plaque and tartar. For example, the specific kelp found in some formulas is absorbed into the bloodstream and helps to reduce plaque and soften existing tartar deposits. Other ingredients, such as probiotics, target the bacteria that cause bad breath and can neutralize the compounds responsible for foul odor.

Key benefits of using dental powder

• Ease of use: The primary advantage of dental powder is its simplicity. Pet owners who struggle with brushing can easily incorporate this into their dog's daily feeding routine, eliminating the stress and struggle of a difficult task.
• Targets hard-to-reach areas: Unlike brushing, which can miss certain areas, dental powder's active ingredients work systemically, reaching all surfaces of the teeth and gums. This is particularly beneficial for hard-to-reach molars.
• Reduces plaque and tartar: Consistent daily use can significantly reduce and control plaque and tartar buildup over time. While results are not instant, many owners report seeing improvement within a few weeks to months.
• Freshens breath: Many dental powders contain ingredients like mint or green tea extract that help to freshen your dog's breath by tackling the odor-causing bacteria at the source.
• Supports overall oral health: By maintaining a healthy bacterial balance in the mouth, dental powder promotes healthy teeth and gums and can help prevent the onset of more serious conditions.

Combining dental powder with other care methods

It's important to understand that dental powder is not a replacement for professional veterinary dental care or brushing, especially for dogs with pre-existing or advanced dental disease. Instead, it should be part of a comprehensive oral hygiene plan.

• Routine vet check-ups: Annual or bi-annual dental check-ups with your veterinarian are essential for catching any problems early. Dental X-rays can reveal issues below the gumline that aren't visible to the naked eye.
• Professional cleanings: For dogs with moderate to severe tartar buildup, a professional dental cleaning under anesthesia is necessary to remove deposits from below the gumline and treat existing disease.
• Other home care options: In addition to dental powder, dental chews, water additives, and specialized dental diets can all contribute to better oral health.

Choosing and using dog dental powder

With a variety of products on the market, it's important to choose a high-quality dental powder that is both safe and effective for your dog.

What to look for

• VOHC-approved products: The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) awards a seal of acceptance to products that meet pre-set standards of plaque and tartar retardation. Checking for this seal is a good way to ensure a product is scientifically proven to be beneficial.
• Natural and safe ingredients: Opt for powders with natural, food-grade ingredients and avoid those with artificial additives or chemicals. Always check the ingredient list for potential allergens, especially if your dog has sensitivities.
• Positive reviews: Reading reviews from other pet owners and veterinary professionals can provide insight into a product's real-world effectiveness.

How to use dental powder effectively

• Follow instructions: Always adhere to the product's specific dosing instructions based on your dog's size. Consistent daily use is crucial for the powder to work effectively.
• Mix with food: Sprinkle the recommended amount of powder directly onto your dog's wet food. If your dog eats dry kibble, you can add a little warm water or broth to help the powder adhere to the food.
• Be patient: It can take several weeks or months to see visible results, especially for tartar reduction. Continued, consistent use is key.

Understanding the risks and limitations

While dental powder is a convenient option, it is not a cure-all and has limitations.

Not a replacement for veterinary care

Dental powder cannot reverse advanced periodontal disease, remove existing significant tartar buildup, or treat tooth infections or abscesses. These conditions require professional veterinary intervention, which often includes anesthesia, dental X-rays, scaling, and polishing.

Anesthesia-free dental cleaning concerns

Some grooming facilities and pet stores offer anesthesia-free dental cleanings. These procedures are not recommended by the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) because they are largely cosmetic and do not address the crucial areas below the gumline where periodontal disease takes hold. Furthermore, a dog's stress levels and the risk of injury are high during these non-anesthetic procedures.

Conclusion

The importance of a dog's oral health cannot be overstated. It directly impacts their comfort, happiness, and overall lifespan. While professional veterinary cleanings and at-home brushing remain the cornerstones of good dental care, dog dental powders offer a modern, low-stress, and effective supplement to this routine. By understanding the signs of dental disease, embracing preventive care, and incorporating easy-to-use products like dental powder, pet owners can take a proactive and compassionate approach to ensuring their furry companions enjoy a lifetime of healthy, happy smiles.

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Caring for your horse's teeth through regular dental floats with a veterinarian can keep them on their best behavior.

“Could dental pain be the culprit for your horse’s behavioral problems?” asked Jeff Hall, DVM, senior equine technical services veterinarian with Zoetis.

A study published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science established a link between common equine behavior problems and abscessed cheek teeth. Periapical infections or abscessed cheek teeth are common in horses and will usually induce pain that is displayed in your horse’s behavior. According to the research, half of the cases of periapical infections were diagnosed during routine dental examinations, indicating that horse owners were unaware of the association between undesirable behavioral patterns of their horses and dental pain.

Behavioral Problems Linked to Tooth Pain

Common behavioral signs associated with cheek teeth abscesses fall into three main categories.

Eating and drinking

• Eating slowly or taking frequent pauses while eating hay
• Turning his head while eating or dropping hay or grain from his mouth
• Dipping hay in water or avoiding drinking cold water

Bit-related

• Evading the bit
• Headshaking, lolling tongue or opening his mouth when ridden and/or driven with a bit
• Rein contact worse on one side of the mouth
• Resistance to bridling

General

• Withdrawn, intense stare, aggressive behavior or self-harm to his head
• Avoiding social interaction with other horses and people
• Bad-smelling breath
• Poor performance, such as a decline in athletic ability

If your horse is expressing any of these behavioral signs, work with your equine veterinarian to conduct an annual oral and dental examination. Depending on your horse’s age, level of performance and overall condition of the teeth, additional examinations throughout the year may be needed.

What to Expect During a Dental Exam

“I find that horse owners are sometimes hesitate to schedule annual dental exams because they are unsure about what goes into an exam and what their horse will experience,” Dr. Hall said. “Dental exams are a safe, routine procedure that should be conducted by your veterinarian proactively every year.”

A thorough dental exam can take between 10 to 30 minutes and includes:

• An assessment of external structures of the horse’s head and soft tissues (e.g., lips, cheeks and lymph nodes)
• An examination of internal structures (e.g., tongue, palate, gums and cheeks)
• The visualization and palpation of teeth

During examination, veterinarians use a full mouth speculum. A full mouth speculum is a piece of equipment that fits onto a horse’s head, similar to a bridle, with mouth plates that fit between the front teeth to hold a horse’s mouth open. This allows for a more complete visualization and palpation of most aspects of the teeth.

Equine dental care, horse vaccinations and horse wormers all play an important role in their overall health and wellness.

About the author: This content was originally provided by Zoetis, and Jeff Hall, DVM, senior equine technical services veterinarian for Zoetis, with minor additions included from Valley Vet Supply.

This article originally appeared on Valley Vet and is published here with permission. Valley Vet Supply was founded in 1985 by veterinarians for people just like you - people who want the very best for their four-legged friends and livestock.

All photos courtesy of Valley Vet.

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by Kentucky Equine Research Staff

Many performance horses are exercised at sun-up or earlier. Think about racehorses in training or show horses schooling before early-morning classes. The horses are pulled from their stalls, groomed, and tacked up; trainers and riders discuss the training plan for this daybreak bout of exercise. But does the groom, rider, or trainer think about the horse’s gastric well-being at that time? Maybe, maybe not.

When horses are exercised on an empty stomach, gastric acid splashes onto the squamous, or upper, portion of the stomach. Repeated exposure of gastric acid to this sensitive tissue can increase the risk of gastric ulcers. Prolonging hay consumption into the early morning hours can help protect performance horses from these ulcers. But when do horses eat during the night? Do they consume more hay before or after midnight?

To better understand nighttime feeding patterns, scientists at Kentucky Equine Research recorded horse behavior using two technologies: chewing halters and overhead cameras. They presented hay in various ways (one hay net or two and hay nets in different positions) to determine whether these configurations affected intake behavior.

The researchers outfitted six horses with chewing halters from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and fed them hay equal to about 1.26% of their body weight while stalled. In the first phase of the study, they placed hay in either one hay net or split the hay between two hay nets, positioning the top of each net parallel to the horses’ withers. In the second phase, they tested two positions of hay nets. One treatment included a hay net at withers height, and the second treatment involved a hay net placed much lower, nearly at ground level.

The chewing halters allowed the team to measure how long the horses spent chewing throughout the night, while the overhead cameras revealed when the hay nets became empty.

“Offering hay in different configurations—one net or two, hay net hung high or low—did not affect time spent eating overnight when a limited amount of hay was offered, as it was in this study,” said Ashley Fowler, Ph.D., director of research at Kentucky Equine Research. Most horses steadily consumed their allotted amount of hay until it was gone, with few horses taking significant breaks from eating.

In this study, the researchers stalled the horses to allow easy camera monitoring. Horses in other living situations may benefit from multiple feeding stations. According to Fowler, “We did not observe any advantage to hanging two hay nets instead of one in this study. In larger enclosures, such as dry lots, using multiple hay nets may encourage horses to walk between foraging locations. Horses that need to lose weight may benefit from increased movement.” Even more movement can be encouraged by placing water sources far from forage stations.

Fowler and her colleagues at Kentucky Equine Research are fine-tuning a follow-up study that will allow free-choice access to hay. “If horses are given free access to hay, we believe they will take more breaks during the night to rest, and there may be short bouts of eating rather than one long eating period, as seen in this study,” she said.

Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Kentucky Equine Research is an international equine nutrition, research, and consultation company serving horse owners and the feed industry. Our goals are to advance the industry's knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology, apply that knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses, and support the nutritional care of all horses throughout their lives. Learn more at Kentucky Equine Research.

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by Kristin Pitzer

Western performance horse riders generally enjoy showing off what their horses can do by traveling to events and competing against others that love their sport. At bigger shows, this often means that people and horses from all around the country must come together under one roof, sharing cross ties, wash racks, tie rings, etc. When your horse is around other horses, though, it is possible for it to be exposed to diseases that it wouldn’t have picked up in its home environment.

This is where equine vaccines come in. Vaccines help prepare the immune system to respond quickly when a horse is exposed to an infectious agent. While they don’t guarantee complete prevention, vaccines can lessen symptoms and help keep from spreading highly contagious diseases.

Quarter Horse News asked Geneve Dundas, DVM, who owns Dundas Veterinary Services PLLC in Fort Worth, Texas, for recommendations on vaccinating horses, especially when preparing to haul to an event.

Vaccinate All Horses With Core Vaccines

According to American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) guidelines, all horses should be immunized with four core vaccines each year: tetanus, West Nile Virus and Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE and WEE). Rabies is also considered a core vaccine in some parts of the country, depending on county regulations and rules.

Vaccinating horses against these diseases is important because your horse can become infected even if it never leaves its home property. WEE and EEE are primarily contracted through mosquitoes and ticks; rabies exposure occurs through the bite of an infected animal; tetanus is present in feces and abundant in the soil; and West Nile Virus is transmitted by mosquitoes from birds to horses. All four diseases are deadly, and vaccines are instrumental in preventing infection.

“These vaccines are necessary to aid these animals’ immune systems in fighting and modulating the severity of these diseases,” Dundas said. “Tetanus has an 80% mortality rate, EEE and WEE encephalitis are very devastating if not fatal, and rabies is fatal and communicable to humans. Some can recover from West Nile but often are no longer rideable, and severe cases result in patients that are a danger to themselves or others due to neurological symptoms.”

Take Extra Care With Show Horses

Even if your horse is vaccinated annually with the core vaccinations, you should ask your veterinarian about additional prevention if you’re planning to haul to shows. There are other highly-communicable diseases that can spread via horse-to-horse contact, and due to the layouts of stalls at showgrounds, many horses often share the same space. Hauling your horse can also stress its immune system, making it more susceptible to illness.

“Show horses travel a great deal and are exposed to many other horses, animals and environments,” Dundas said. “The stress of trailering, being stalled and showing means their immune systems are often fighting off a great deal of organisms, and stress can suppress the immune system. Vaccines aid them in staying healthy.”

One additional vaccine that is often mandatory for show horses is the flu/rhino vaccine, which protects against equine influenza and equine herpesvirus.

EHV Is Highly Contagious

Equine herpesvirus, or EHV, is a DNA virus found in most horses. This family of viruses is named by numbers, and EHV-1, -3 and -4 pose the most health risks for domestic horses, according to the AAEP. Usually, infected horses see no serious side effects, but sometimes, for reasons unknown, one might develop a fatal neurological form called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy.

EHV-1 and EHV-4 in particular are the most common species of EHV. EHV-1 can cause abortion, respiratory disease and neurologic disease, and EHV-4 can cause a nonfatal upper respiratory tract disease in foals. The viruses are spread by direct horse-to-horse contact via nasal secretions or through contact with physical objects that are contaminated.

Showgrounds can be a hotbed for EHV contagion: feed buckets, water buckets, grooming equipment, tack, trailers, and even your hands and clothing could all be contaminated if touched by a horse that is infected. The AAEP recommends that performance horses be vaccinated for EHV every six months, as vaccinated horses are more likely to produce a strong immune response without having clinical signs of the disease.

Flu Vaccines Should Also Be Given Every Six Months

Equine influenza is also highly contagious and spreads via aerosolized droplets when an infected horse coughs. It can also survive on objects in the environment, much like EHV.

Equine influenza can cause respiratory disease, including fever, edema, enlarged lymph nodes and nasal discharge. Horses that are immunosuppressed, such as those that are on the road often hauling for World titles, can have an increased risk for infection and developing more severe symptoms.

Flu vaccines can offer protection against certain strains of equine influenza, but because the duration of that protection is limited, boosters should be given every six months. While some vaccines are given intramuscularly, there is also an intranasal vaccine that can achieve more rapid protection, which can be particularly useful in an equine influenza outbreak.

Take Additional Measures

Vaccinations are a good place to start your defense against communicable equine diseases, but there are other practices you should follow to keep your horse as safe and healthy as possible when on the road, Dundas said. For one, let your horse have as little contact with other horses as possible, especially when using communal facilities and equipment.

“Isolate as best as you can from other horses not from your barn —  no touching noses, no sharing water troughs or buckets. Bring your own clean ones,” Dundas said. “When you fill buckets, don’t put the hose in the bucket. Instead, hold it over so the hose doesn’t get submerged.” Dundas also suggested stalling your horses near barn doors for better airflow and cleaning stalls two or more times per day to keep ammonia from building up, which will protect your horse’s lungs. Low-dust shavings, steamed hay and immune-boosting supplements can also be good ways to protect your horse’s immune system, provided those option work with your horse’s diet.